Shloka 38
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
Devanagari script
स रथे5तिरथस्तिष्ठन् रथशक्ति परामृशत्
Transliteration
sa rathe 'tirathas tiṣṭhan rathaśaktiṃ parāmṛśat
Translation
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു: അവൻ അതിരഥനെപ്പോലെ രഥത്തിൽ ഉറച്ചുനിന്ന് രഥശക്തി (കുന്തം) പിടിച്ചു—നിർണായക പ്രഹരത്തിനായി ഒരുങ്ങി।
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
रथेin/on the chariot
रथे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
अतिरथःa great chariot-warrior
अतिरथः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअतिरथ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तिष्ठन्standing
तिष्ठन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootस्था (तिष्ठ)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
रथशक्तिम्a chariot-spear (shakti weapon)
रथशक्तिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरथशक्ति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
परामृशत्touched/laid hold of
परामृशत्:
TypeVerb
Rootपरामृश्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)र
रथ (chariot)र
रथशक्ति (chariot-spear/javelin)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of preparedness and resolve: in the chaos of war, a warrior must remain steady, choose the appropriate weapon, and act decisively—discipline and readiness being central to martial dharma.
Sanjaya narrates that a leading warrior, standing on his chariot, takes up a rathaśakti (a chariot-spear/javelin), signaling an imminent attack or a critical turn in the ongoing combat.